How To Make Nigerian Garden Egg Sauce

Hello there, today we’ll teach you how you can make Nigerian garden egg sauce from scratch to finish. Looking to have some pro cooking knowledge? This article is for you!

Garden egg, which is also known as eggplant in different parts of the world, is not only a versatile but also a highly nutritious vegetable. Nigerian garden egg sauce is one of the favourite sauces in Nigerian households and tastes great with all kinds of side dishes. Here is how to make Nigerian garden egg sauce!

What You’ll Need

Nigerian garden egg is obviously the key ingredient in the garden egg sauce, but what else will you need to whip up a warming and delicious pot of this sauce? The good news is that in this case, eggplant and garden egg are interchangeable, you’ll just need to adjust the quantity of the product. Here are the ingredients needed to make garden egg sauce:

Eggplant, medium – 2 OR 8-10 garden eggs
Red bell peppers – 2
Tomato, big – 1
Onions, medium – 2
Palm oil – 1/2 cup
Smoked fish – 1/2 cup
Ground crayfish – 3 tbsp
Stock cube – 1
Salt – to taste

This recipe of garden egg sauce calls for smoked fish, but the truth is that you can use nearly any protein you love or have at hand. Prawns, fish, chicken, or beef – simply pick your favourite protein and you’ll have your own Nigerian garden egg sauce in no time.

Steps To Make Nigerian Garden Egg Sauce

The Nigerian recipe for eggplant sauce is not complicated at all, but it’s important to do everything right if you want to enjoy the end result. Here are the simple steps to your first pot of homemade garden egg sauce:

There are two ways to prepare the eggplants for the sauce: to boil them or use them raw. Both ways have their benefits, but, according to experienced home cooks, raw eggplants taste the same in the sauce as boiled eggs, so you can save time and skip the boiling stage.
Wash the garden eggs, cut them into large chunks, and place into a blender or food processor. Blitz the vegetables at low speed until they are cut into smaller pieces but not pureed. Set aside
Wash and cut the bell peppers, tomato, and 1 onion. Blitz them together in a blender until the consistency is more smooth than chunky.
Chop the remaining peeled onion to pieces of the desired size.
Heat up the palm oil in a large pot on medium heat. When the oil is hot enough, add the chopped onion and fry until it is translucent.
Add the mixture of peppers, tomato, and onions, a stock cube, crayfish, and salt to taste. Stir well and cook without a lead for 10-12 minutes or until the sauce reduces nearly in half.
Add smoked fish or any other pre-cooked protein of your choice. Stir and cook for up to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
Add the blended garden eggs, stir, and cook until they are tender and soft. This should take around 5-7 minutes. If you are using pre-boiled garden eggs, you should only cook them for a minute or two.
Take the sauce off the heat and serve.

Nigerian garden egg sauce tastes best when served with potatoes, rice, yams, plantains, or any other side dish you prefer cooked the way you and your family love.